Paranthropus Should Not Be Called Nutcracker Man, New Study Says

A photo of a Neanderthal man ancestor's reconstruction, displayed in a 2004 show at the Prehistoric Museum in Germany. (AFP)
A photo of a Neanderthal man ancestor's reconstruction, displayed in a 2004 show at the Prehistoric Museum in Germany. (AFP)
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Paranthropus Should Not Be Called Nutcracker Man, New Study Says

A photo of a Neanderthal man ancestor's reconstruction, displayed in a 2004 show at the Prehistoric Museum in Germany. (AFP)
A photo of a Neanderthal man ancestor's reconstruction, displayed in a 2004 show at the Prehistoric Museum in Germany. (AFP)

A new study published in the latest issue of the Journal of Human Evolution, found that the genus Paranthropus, one of the prehistoric humans species, does not deserve the Nutcracker Man title.

The Paranthropus group stands out in this family tree because of their massive back teeth, several times the size of ours, and their extremely thick enamel (the outer-most layer of our teeth). But the new study that examined Paranthropus' fossilized teeth and enamel found new evidence on its diet.

Researchers Ian Towle and Carolina Loch from the University of Otago, New Zealand, in collaboration with researcher Joel Irish from the University of Liverpool's School of Biology and Environmental Science, found that Paranthropus had very low rates of enamel chipping (a common type of tooth fracture), comparable to living primates such as gorillas and chimpanzees. This supports other recent research about the diet of this group and should finally put to rest the nutcracker hypothesis.

"Our understanding of diet and behavior during human evolution has changed markedly over the last decades — partly due to new technologies but also because of some spectacular fossil discoveries, mainly teeth," the researchers said in a report posted on The Conversation website, on July 24.

They explained that teeth are by far the most abundant resource because they survive fossilization better than bones. This is a fortunate circumstance because teeth also offer other information that helps us to reconstruct the environment of our fossil ancestors and relatives. We can glean a lot of information from the microscopic scratches created by foods scraping along the tooth surface during chewing, the tiny particles preserved in dental plaque and the chemical composition of the teeth themselves, they added.

Before such techniques were developed and refined, researchers relied on looking at the overall shape and size of teeth, as well as wear and chipping visible with the naked eye. Small sample sizes and a lack of comparative material hampered these studies, but they provided some bold claims about the diet of our fossil ancestors, including its reliance on hard foods.

"In our recent research, we have studied a broad range of living primates and compared that information with data on fossil species. The results were surprising, with our species Homo sapiens and fossil relatives in our genus commonly showing high rates of chipping, similar to living primates that eat hard foods habitually," they concluded.



Saudi Reef Launches Project to Boost Coffee Tree Productivity by 30%

Saudi Reef Launches Project to Boost Coffee Tree Productivity by 30%
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Saudi Reef Launches Project to Boost Coffee Tree Productivity by 30%

Saudi Reef Launches Project to Boost Coffee Tree Productivity by 30%

The Sustainable Agricultural Rural Development Program (Saudi Reef), in collaboration with the National Research and Development Center for Sustainable Agriculture (Estidamah), has launched an innovative project to enhance the production of coffee seedlings using tissue culture technology.

The project aims to increase the productivity of coffee trees by 30% and to plant some 50,000 seedlings by the end of 2025, SPA reported.

Saudi Reef Spokesperson Majid Al-Buraikan said the coffee tree tissue culture project has achieved several tangible results. These include the re-evaluation of 82 previously selected genetic patterns, which were consolidated into 12 genetic groups based on morphological similarities. The production of seedlings from cuttings of selected genetic types has also begun, with 1,000 cuttings planted to produce 1,000 traceable seedlings.

Al-Buraikan noted that disease-resistant and drought-tolerant varieties have been developed. Fourteen knowledge products have also been prepared, focusing on advanced techniques and good agricultural practices to improve coffee farms and enhance their productivity.

As part of the project, the technical review of the coffee cultivation guide has been completed, and a book on coffee resources has been prepared as a primary reference for coffee production and post-harvest operations management in the Kingdom.

Four study tours—both domestic and international—were also conducted, with over 109 farmers participating. These visits included experimental fields, demonstration farms, and cooperatives, allowing farmers to learn about modern practices and technologies and apply them to their farms.

Al-Buraikan pointed out that the initiative also included organizing workshops and scientific seminars to train and qualify farmers and stakeholders, covering more than 200 farmers, as well as participating in numerous international conferences, forums, and exhibitions related to the coffee sector to exchange expertise and stay up to date on industry developments.